Alone at Sea
by Saphire Lutin
Summary: Archie's strange encounters after the time of the capture of the Papillion please r and r
1. Default Chapter

Alone at Sea Chapter 1: Terra Incognito 

I really don't know how I ended up like this. All I remember is going to board the Papillion with my fellow seatmates; well most are my mates and now in the middle of the Atlantic with know map or compass. I've been rowing for about three days and I was lucky to have fresh water on board with me but honestly I have not a clue where I am. Yesterday I thought I saw my ship the Indefatigable but it was actually a French frigate so I had to pretend I was a fisherman. I am so glad that my father made me take French with a private tutor otherwise I would have been stuck and probably now half way to a French prison or to my death. The only way I am able to record these events is because a notebook and quill were left in these small rowing boat obviously for a captains log but as I am alone it is only proper that I use it to record my private events for when I hope I eventually return to England.

Archie Kennedy had been left in a rowing boat after an attack on a French frigate called the Papillion. He had become indisposed before going into battle and so had been left. For reason that were at the moment unknown to Archie the small rowing boat had broken lose from its rope and had drifted away. He thought that it was very strange that his ship had not come to look for him and he'd hoped that it wasn't because his fellow crewmates had not been able to capture the Papillion. But Archie was a very optimistic person and tried not to think of the terrible things that might have happened to them. He wondered now why he had become ill and it suddenly hit him why he constantly became unwell even when he wasn't about to go into battle.

It's because of him! That horrible creature of a man. Jack Simpson. Even his name sounds like a parasite. It's always when he is around I don't even have the confidence to speak and what can he really do to me a part from beat me and he's done that so many times I've lost count. When he was not on board I was fine. As fit as a fiddle and then he comes and I become frightened again. I wish I were more like Horatio. He said that we should stand up to him and how much I would love to. To tell him what I really thought of him. I now realize what he really is. He's nothing but a bully. Probably afraid that if he didn't beat people down then he would become weak and frail. Now I understand it seems so simple. Once people start to talk him down he will no longer be the bully he is.

I wonder what that is at bearings north-northeast to southwest. It looks a bit like land but not a land we have ever come across on these bearings before I think I shall leave the log and go and explore.

What Archie didn't know is that he was coming across a land no one could have discovered unless by a freak accident. This was a land affectionately known as Terra Incognito, which in English means unknown land. This was truly a land where all of the sailor's superstitious stories came from, like about sea beasts and strange creatures that where unknown to us and had strange inhumanly powers. A land like this had its on protection to keep us (well people who really didn't understand about that sort of thing) away but Archie as a boy and even now had very much believed in everything that people said were _fairy stories _of course he didn't want to be classed as insane and so never told anyone of his beliefs except Horatio and his late friend Mr Clayton. They of course laughed at the idea but still supported Archie. It was by him believing very strongly in this that he was able to see this land and for this accident to occur. At first though he thought he may have made a mistaken the bearings and had drifted further than he had expected. 

He grounded the ship and started to walk around this new land. He was pleased to see that there were fruit around which he had now started to collect to eat. He was just about to take a bite of the strange red-fleshed fruit when a girl came out from behind the bushes,

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you."

"Why?" asked Archie who could see her figure but could not see her face as she was shaded by other bushes and trees.

"Because that is the fruit that makes you see things you do not wish to see. They show your greatest fears."

"Thank you for telling me. Please step out. I cannot see you properly."

"I can't. You're one of them. The unbelieving ones."

"I promise I won't yell."

"OK then as long as you promise."

"I promise."

She stepped out and her skin had a blue tinge and her hair was also blue but it also glistened in the sunlight as if it had sparkles of silver though it but the most bedazzling thing about her was her eyes. They were rather like cats eyes only they were dark blue slits in the middle of a purple background. Her eyelashes were very long and were silver and her ears were pointed like an elf's. Her clothes were very long and flowing and she wore a tiara that was silver and red. She also had a necklace that was a ring around her neck. That was also silver.

"I've seen you before but I can't think where."

"You have! I mean you have? How could that be?"

"I'm not sure."

Suddenly a huge petrifying scream came that shock the ground and pierced your ears at the same time. 

The girl suddenly grabbed Archie's hand and tore away pulling Archie behind her. She through him into a tree and hid underneath a bush herself. She put her finger to her lips and hushed Archie to stay quiet. About a dozen horses then rode past. They were black and ferocious and even the very sound of there hooves hitting the earth chilled you to the bone. They paced and although it was within seconds it felt like an eternity of fear to Archie, but unlike he used to go into uncontrollable fits he tried to stay calm.   

"What were they?" asked Archie now getting up from the ground as cautiously as possible.

"Things that should never find you" she replied.

"Do you always speak riddles?"

"Mostly. It is easier not to give information that way. What is your name?"

"Will you tell me yours if I give you mine?"

"Yes, I will"

"It is Midshipman Archie Kennedy of the Indefatigable"

"Oh so your one of those sea people. They come and are always so offal but your not. I'm Hayley."

"Just Hayley"

"Well I can't really tell you my last name"

"All right. Can you tell me were I am?"

"Your in the forbidden land. Years ago there was a terrible war between your kind and mine. Men wanted to destroy this land and use for things that to my people are unspeakable so we made them leave and we hid this land so that they couldn't come back."

"How did your people beat us? We have no record of any events like that."

"Well you wouldn't to make sure we made everyone forget and it is only the old warriors that remember from that time."

"How is that possible?"

"Because we're immortal"


	2. The Truth of my Land

Alone at Sea: Chapter 2 The Truth of my Land 

"Immortal? No way! I'm dreaming. This is not real. Immortal?"

"Well, you can only kill my people if our blood is spilt and even then sometimes we still stay alive but as for disease, old age, even poison can't kill us."

"Seriously!"

"Yes. Seriously. I would have thought that my appearance would have given you more of a shock than me being immortal."

"Are you sure we use immortal in the same context. It is that you can never die…right."

"Yes!"

Archie sat down on a nearby log and held his head. He was sure this was a dream. How could any of this be true? He had heard of stories of men coming back speaking of queer folk with two heads and such things but never of immortals and black riders that thundered the earth with the hooves of their terrifying horses. He didn't know exactly what they were only that he had to stay away from them. As far away as possible.

"Well it's not really a custom of my people to invite people back to my home, especially ones that I've just met but I think I've probable told you to much already so it would do no harm I suppose to let come and get something safe to eat and it will also keep you out of danger."

"Told me too much! You've hardly told me anything" spoke Archie standing in protest.

"You sea folk. Always complaining. You do not need to know much to know a lot." Hayley starting to walk through the bushes and Archie had to jog to try and keep up with her long strides even though she was at last a few inches shorter than himself.

"So how many sailo…sea folk have stumbled here?"

 "I've only seen five. One was of your female species. She managed to get to the castle but she left a few months later but she couldn't tell anyone because father put a curse on her that meant if she ever spoke about us she would feel empty and total darkness for eternity. The rest were found by the Elite."

"The Elite?"

"The dark riders. They were once like us but they were condemned to darkness and greed by a thing more terrible than anything you've ever seen. They are more like a plague on this land. They cannot be turned nor extinguished. They started out as three and now there are twelve of them. There is a legend that anyone who sees them for what they are, are also joined in the curse."

"Dare I ask how you see them for what they really are?"

"Don't say to anyone I told you this. You have to feel like nothing is left and then they lower there masks. When you meet their eyes it is like they…

"Suck the soul out of you."

"Yes how did you know?" ask Hayley curiously. She stopped and stared at Archie for an answer.

"I read it somewhere once."

She started to stride again. Her dress was swiftly but most elegantly sweeping passed the trees and bushes that normally would have grabbed and clawed at you as if trying to claw at your skin. Archie on the other hand was having trouble keeping up, as it seemed each tree was becoming more and more difficult to counter attack just by pushing them away. It seemed they were not as keen to invite him into a land that had been hidden from his mind for so long. He almost felt the need to draw his sword and hack away at the blasted things but he felt some resistance in case this was something that would offend Hayley and her strange ways to Archie.

 "It is not long now," she yelled back to Archie without so much as a glance.

Archie found am slight clearing in his pathway and took his chance to run to the side of Hayley.

"Why do you keep this land so hidden?"

"Why do you fight in wars?"

"To stop other countries invading Britain."

"Then there is your answer. You have you ways and we have ours. Unfortunately we have more things to worry us than our own kind. Tell me Mr Kennedy, is it your choice to fight your own people?"

"Well no, not really. I just follow my orders."

"And that is where your land will fail whereas ours prevails."

" I don't understand?"

"You take to many orders and strive too much for the day when you can give them. You should be looking for alternatives to protect your home rather than destroying others."

"I never thought of it that way before."

"Nor did the other collective colonies around here. Hence why my people strive to put up defences. We are afraid that the black day will come again and that cannot happen."

"What day?"

She fell quiet.

"Hayley?"

Archie saw a crystal tear run down her face and her silver eyelashes slowly closed and raised again.

"I'm sorry. I have spoken out of place."

"The day when the heavens and the earth collide and all is lost in a dark rumble of black thunder." She spoke quietly. "It happened once before. I pray it never happens again."

"I am sorry"

"You were not to know. It is in your blood to ask questions. It is my fault for bringing up the subject."

The walked for a while again only this time in silence. Archie did not want to say any thing else that may upset her. In fact he did not speak until he saw thick smoke in the distance and lapping flames in the distance above the trees.

"Hayley? Where are those flames coming from?"

"What flames? Oh no."

Hayley began to run through the forest and Archie hoped that what he thought was burning was not true. After a few moments he lost site of Hayley but he kept running in what he thought was the right direction and eventually found her again only she now knelt with soft crystal like tears running down her face as she watched what was once a vast and grand town burn to the ground.

"Hayley we should move from here." Archie spoke walking beside and placing his hand on her shoulder.

"No. Wait." 

She stood abruptly and began to run into the burning town. Archie yelled after her whilst running to try and catch up but her strange and unique quickness made this almost impossible and again he lost site of her. In fact he only knew where she had gone when he saw a large door to a great burning castle hang off and a small voice was calling out names from inside. 

He took off his navy blue uniform jacket put it over his head to protect him from the smoke and ran in to find a distressed Hayley. He found her on the verge of collapsing, so he helped her to her feet and managed to pull her outside just before the castle burst out thousands of spitting flames at them.

They were now both on the ground from the extent of the blast but Hayley was the first to sit up and look at her fiery home. When Archie appeared by her side she spoke words he would never forget,

"The black day has come in a burst of flames."      


End file.
